Festive break causes blood crisis in Navi Mumbai

The shortage in the civic hospital’s blood bank, which is the largest in the city, has begun to affect the patients and their families are being asked to arrange blood donors before starting treatment or performing surgeries

NAVI MUMBAI: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NMMC’s) First Referral Hospital in Vashi has sounded the alarm over a critical shortage of blood, raising concerns that the situation has already started affecting patient care. The shortage is not limited to rare groups but extends across all major blood types, officials said.

Festive break causes blood crisis in Navi Mumbai

The shortage in the civic hospital’s blood bank, which is the largest in the city, has begun to affect the patients and their families are being asked to arrange blood donors before starting treatment or performing surgeries. A patient’s family member, speaking outside the hospital, said, “We were told to bring donors before my father’s operation. It was terrifying to think his treatment could be delayed because of a lack of blood.”

The hospital caters to a wide range of patients—thalassemia cases, accident victims, cancer patients, and maternity emergencies—all of whom require a steady supply of blood, said Sarita Kherwasiya, Medical Social Worker at NMMC’s First Referral Hospital. “Because of the festive break, colleges are shut and blood donation camps have reduced. This has created a serious gap in supply,” she said, requesting citizens to come forward and donate blood.

Local civic groups and NGOs have been urged to mobilize quickly. Shiv Sena Navi Mumbai chief Kishore Patkar, who has taken the initiative to support donation drives, said, “We often think someone else will donate. But right now, it’s on us. If we don’t step up, patients will suffer. Donating blood is not just an act of kindness—it is a civic duty that can save lives.”